When it comes to challenges, 19-year-old Rachel Barr of West Monroe, then a high school senior, reached for a mark that was almost otherworldly. She set out with a goal very few have attempted and fewer still have accomplished.

Her mission? Take a World Slam of wild turkeys. That in and of itself would be quite a feat, but she added a kicker to her challenge.

“I wanted to take the World Slam with my bow before finishing high school,” Barr said.

Even if you didn’t take Economics 101 in college, just navigating through the past several years has given you hands-on experience with one of the course’s most valuable lessons: The rise and fall of interest rates is one of the biggest factors influencing global economies, financial markets, and our daily lives. That’s why it is important to have a basic understanding of how interest rate changes could affect not only your wallet but also your investment portfolio.